May 16

We awoke around 6:30am to start our drive across the Emerald Isle since we had an 11:30am flight from Connemara Airport, about 45 minutes west of Galway. The prior day we rented a car, so that was sitting for us in the parking garage. And oh, what a funny little car it was! The thing just screamed “European car” and I looked absolutely ridiculous driving it with my 6’4″ frame. We left The Morrison and proceeded through the outskirts of Dublin right around the beginning part of Friday morning rush hour. We were headed out of the city, so traffic was light. We then got on the M4 and then the M6 motorway (very similar to US Interstate Highways), and drove clear across the country in about two and a half hours! The next thing we knew, we were on the outskirts of Galway. After proceeding through about a half dozen traffic circles, we were on an ocean-side highway hugging the Galway Bay between Galway and Connemara. We stopped for a scone and a coffee of a picturesque beach overlooking Galway Bay.

Drove across an entire country in a few hours!

Driving on the M6!

The Irish Countryside

Me in our tiny, ridiculous car

Several months earlier, I arranged for a scheduled flight to take us to the Aran Islands and back. After tons of research, we decided that we wanted to see the Aran Islands. We decided on Inishmore since it was the largest of the three islands, and seemed to have lots to see. Since they’re relatively remote (about ten miles off the West coast of Ireland), the only two options to get to the islands were by ferry or by plane. The ferry was said to take 90-12o minutes and cost €25-30, while the plane was said to be an eight minute flight for €49 round trip. Given our time constraint (we needed to do it in one day), the decision to book the flight was an easy one. We booked the flight directly on Aer Arann Islands’ website, and the process really couldn’t have been any easier.

We arrived at the airport about 45 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time of 11:30am. We checked in and were situated in the small lobby of the Connemara Airport. After a safety briefing on TV, the two of us and a third passenger were gathered for boarding for this eight-minute flight that would cover 12 miles — currently the fifth shortest scheduled flight in the world!

We flew a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander — an eight-seat aircraft (including the two pilots) from Connemara (NNR) to Inishmore (IOR) in the Aran Islands with one pilot and three passengers, including the two of us. After a scenic approach to the island, we touched down and were immediately met by Aer Arann Island officials who had a mini bus waiting to take us to town. Upon arriving into the main town in Inishmore, called Kilronan, we grabbed a pint of Guinness and lunch at the bar, appropriately named, “The Bar.” We then walked across the street and rented bikes for €10 each. The bike shop owner pointed us out the sights we should see on the map, and off we went!

Connemara Airport Passenger Terminal

Our boarding passes for Inishmore

Our plane!

The airplane

Cabin of the plane

Flying over Inishmore

Final approach into Inishmore

The Bar in Inishmore

The bicycle shop in Inishmore

It was about a 6km bike ride along a very hilly and scenic road to the entrance of the must-see prehistoric fort of Dun Aonghasa. From the entrance, there was another 1km walk up the hill to the ridge of the cliff where the fort lies.

The views from here were magnificent, as the cliffs dropped off some 300 feet to the Atlantic Ocean below.

We walked around Dun Aonghasa for about 45 minutes, snapping pictures left and right. Interestingly, there was no railing along the edge of the cliff, and one could hang their legs off the ledge if they dared — definitely a harrowing feat. I myself didn’t play that game… I’m way too scared of heights, and I even had weak knees when I walked within five feet of the ledge!

Riding bikes across Inishmore

Inishmore

The cliffs at Dun Aonghasa

Cliffs at Dun Aonghasa

Cliffs at Dun Aonghasa

Cliffs at Dun Dun Aonghasa

Hanging out at Dun Aonghasa

Me surveying the scene at Dun Aonghasa

The GF sitting on the ledge at Dun Aonghasa

Me at Dun Aonghasa

Inishmore walls

Beach on Inishmore

Mooo

Walls of Inishmore

The Aran Sweater Market and a horse drawn carriage

After touring the fort, we descended the hill, got back on our bikes, and made the scenic drive back to town where our minibus picked us up for our return flight back to Connemara. Inishmore was a MUST see. If you have time in Ireland, or if you’re in Galway, it’s definitely worth spending at least a day out in the Aran Islands. I much prefer the flight over there since it saves a ton of time, and you don’t need to worry about the frequently rough seas that you may encounter on a ferry ride.

Upon arriving back in Connemara, we hopped into our mini-car and proceeded to the town of Galway. We were booked for one night at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Galway. We chose this hotel because it was comparably priced to other places, it was within walking distance to the main part of town, and it received some pretty good reviews online. Parking cost €5 and check-in was a breeze. Much to our surprise, breakfast seemed to be included in our room rate — win! The room was basic — comfortable and somewhat modern, but nothing overly special or memorable. The lobby of the hotel was quite pretty, but we really didn’t spend any time there.

After freshening up, we set out to explore Galway for the evening. And what an awesome little town it is! Most of our time was spent along Quay Street in the Spanish Arch area. This street was lined with pubs and shops, and just had a genuine Irish feel to it. Galway is right on the water, so that made the town seem especially scenic. We went into a couple of pubs for pints: The Quays and The Dail Bar. We enjoyed both of them, and honestly could have just pub-hopped all night in this cute little town. Alas, we were starving at this point, so we headed to Finnegans Corner Restaurant & Bar where my girlfriend enjoyed some Shepherd’s Pie, and I had fish and chips, yet again. The food was really quite fantastic, and we left the place pretty full. At that point, it was approaching 10pm, and we were exhausted, so we made our way back to the hotel for a decent night’s rest.